Lumson Predicts Top Trends in Lip Care During & Post COVID Times
As we continue to fight the Coronavirus pandemic, mandatory use of masks might have put a damper on the lipstick, but it’s a product that has not lost its charm. Many marketers are already talking about revenge shopping for the world of lip care. Once masks are no longer required to be out and about, it’s likely that this will contribute to a spike in lipstick sales. There will be many changes with regards to both formulations and packaging and the way that products can be “tested” in stores.
Romualdo Priore – Marketing Director, Lumson, predicts some trends in lip care
Will there be “revenge shopping” for lip products?
Many people have hypothesized a collapse in the “Lipstick Index” theory, but I don’t think it’ll happen. I am completely convinced that the opposite will occur. Not only will there not be any decrease in its popularity but once again, lipstick will come out of this a winner and might even become the symbol of “rebirth” after these difficult months. After all, the link between the female world and lipstick is very strong and the history of female empowerment runs parallel to the creation and success of lipstick. In 1912, Elizabeth Arden joined 15,000 women in a march for their rights, inviting them to wear bright red lipstick. Coco Chanel said that “you can’t start revolutions with lipstick…however, you can claim your identity and show off your determination with the right lip colour”. Whoever ventured to say the Lipstick Index would suffer didn’t consider that the use of masks is only temporary and the theory’s resilience continues to be an indicator of economic health. I continue to believe that it’s both a “must-have” product and that, differently from other makeup products, lipstick or lip colours have an intrinsic kind of magical power.
How do you see the future of lip products in terms of formulations and packaging?
There will be a return to sparkly and long-lasting formulations. Gloss and lip care products will be a category in overwhelmingly high demand, especially from the newer generations. Of course, traditional lipsticks won’t be left out, including those in miniature formats that are easy for women to bring with them throughout their day, as well as lip glosses with different types of applicators according to the formulation type.
Besides safety, there will be a lot of attention given to sustainability and Lumson has always been aware of this and conscientious of its use of plastic. In fact, the company has an important innovation in the pipeline in this regard: Lipstick PLA 2.0 – a bio-based material that is extremely high-performing and innovative, developed specifically for Lumson.
With respect to the PLA that is already present on the market (a renewable and compostable material obtained from the polymerization of dextrose derived from cane sugar), the version developed for Lumson offers more advantages such as resistance to high temperatures without deforming, better resistance to scratches and wear and tear, and its mechanism doesn’t require any lubrification.
We’re talking about elements that are of particular importance for the cosmetic sector that make this lipstick a product with great potential. It’s enough to think that today, the attention that the consumer world is giving to eco-friendly beauty products is growing and a good 60% of young people prefer brands and products that are sustainable.
How will brands guarantee greater safety to the consumer at the point of sale?
Companies will have to keep in mind that consumers are going to be paying more attention to safety both during the choosing phase and the purchasing phase of a product. With regards to counters, the most serious brands are already in the habit of cutting a part of the lipstick bullet after a customer has tested it, while for glosses or lacquers, they’ve been using disposable brushes.
For my part, I can say that like in all things, common sense is important. My past experience as a makeup artist has instilled in me a strict protocol with regards to product hygiene: it’s best practice to take a small sample of a product and apply it so as to avoid using the actual product or applicator directly on lips. Advice that is not only applicable in a pandemic but that should always be the standard.
Lumson is a European company focussed on development, production and decoration of primary packaging for the cosmetic and make-up market. They have recently launched the Lipstick PLA 2.0 which is said to innovative, 100% sustainable and technological.